Shoe tree



y 1933- M. VON ASTHOLZ El AL 1,917,347

SHOE TREE Filed July 13, 1951 Patented July 11, 1933 UNITED STATES MEL VON ASTHOLZ Ann THOMAS CONGHA, or Los ANGELES, CALIFORN A; FRANK BRYSON, PUBLIC ADMINISTRATOR or sAIn THOMAS CONCHA, nncnesnn, .AssIGNoR To SAID MEL voN. nsTHoLz snort Application filed July 13,

This invention relates to a shoe tree capable of being placed inside a shoe, or slipper, to enable the same to maintain its shape when not being worn. This shoe tree is of B a type in which the body of the shoe tree is divided into two sections which can be placed within the shoe in a collapsed condi tion, and the device includes means for exerting force in such a way as to cause the sec- .1 tions of the body to be forced apart so as to exert a stretching force enabling the body of the tree to fill the forward portion of the shoe in which the tree is applied.

A general object of this invention is to provide a shoe tree of this type, of simple construction that can readily be operated to be placed in the shoe and set tovexert expanding force on the sections of the body.

Another object of the invention is to simplify the construction of the extension means which connects the two sections of the body.

Shoe trees of this type are usually constructed so that the sections'of the body do not automatically hold themselves in a vcol- 35 lapsed condition. Hence, they tend to rattle and do not present an attractive, salable and readily handled article.

One of the objects of this'invention is to provide a construction for a shoe tree of this type which will normally hold the sec tions of the shoe tree in a collapsed condition.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, we employ an extension bar which exerts a thrust against the counter of the heel of the'shoe at its rear end, and exerts a thrust in the body of the shoe tree at its forward end. One of the objects of this invention is toconstruct this thrust bar sothat its rear end consists of a shoe horn.

Further objects of the inventionwill appear hereinafter. Y

The invention consists of novel parts and combinations of parts to be described hereinafter, all of which contribute to produce an efficient shoe tree.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is described in the following specification, while the broad scope of the invention is pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawingthe tree in their normal collapsed condition TREE 1931.. Serial in. 550,406.

Figure 1 is a plan of a shoe'tree embodying our invention, portions of the same being broken away. .This view shows sections of as though the tree is not in use; 7

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the sections of the shoe tree in their separated or expanded condition;

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken about 011 the line of Figure 2, certain parts being omitted or brokenaway, this View shows a portion of the counter of the shoe-in section so as to indicate how the thrust bar may be set in the shoe to exertthrust at'the body of the tree to force its sections apart; and 7 V Figure 4 is a section taken on the line 4l 4 of Figure 3 illustrating a form of the device at this point which enables it to be used as a shoe born when desired, I l

- 1n practicing the invention, we provide a body for the shoe tree which is divided longitudinally into two separable sections, and we provide extension meansconn'ecting the two body sections, together with guiding means for guiding this extension on one of the sections, so that when a thrust is exerted upon the extension means, it will force the sections of the body apart.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the extension means has cam means associated with it-and through the agency of this cam, when thrust is exerted on the'extension means, it will project itself outwardly from one of the body sections so as to hold the other body section at a distance from it. The device also preferably includes resilient means for normally holdin'g'the extension means in a retracted position.

Referring more particularly-to the parts, 1 indicates the body of the shoe tree which is composed of a main section 2 and a side section 3. In other words, thebody l is di- 7 vided longitudinally into two separable sections. The main section 2 carries extension 95 means preferablyinthe form of a flat plate,

' or short bar, I.

The connection between this barf, a11d the mam section 2 includes cam means which. is -1 preferably in the form of a curved slot 5 and the bar 4 is preferably of curved form, such as indicated. The extension bar 4 is guided through the medium of a curved slot 6 formed in the face or face plate 7 of the main section (see Figures 2 and 3) and its outer end projects laterally across to the other section, passing through a small slot 8 formed in the face or, face plate 9 of the side section 3. The inner end of the extension bar 4 is guided on the face of a horizontal bracket 10 that projects inwardly from the inner face of the face plate 7. And the underside of this bracket 10 is provided with a pin 11 that passes through the cam slot 5. The inner end of the extension bar 4 is pivotally at tached to the forward end of athrust bar 12 which at its forward end extends through a slot 13 in the rear face 14 of the main section, its forward end being in the form of a tongue 15 that is supported on a substantially horizontal bracket plate 16 formed with a guide strap 17; in other words, the tongue 15 is guided between the strap 17 and the body of the bracket plate 16 so as to guide the extension bar in a longitudinal direction with respect to the longitudinal axis of the body 1. The forward end of the tongue 15 is at tached by a pivot pin 18 to the inner end of the extension bar4. The rear end of the extension bar 12 is provided with meansfor engaging the inner face of the counter 19 of the shoe in which the tree is placed (see Figure This endof the thrust bar is preferably formed as a. curved plate20 having a convex face disposed upwardly, thereby enabling this part of the thrust bar to be used as a shoe horn when desired.

It will be noted that in the extended condition of the tree, the pin 24 lies substantially opposite the pin 11 and this is also true in the collapsed condition of the tree.

The parts already described will function satisfactorily and will enable the resilient thrust bar 12 to be set in a slightly bowed 1 condition as indicated in Figure 3 to enable a thrust force to be exerted against the bar 4 which will hold it in its ext-endedposition. However, we prefer to provide means for normally holding the extension bar 4 in a retracted position, that is to say, in a position in which it is drawn into the main section 2. p

For this purpose,we provideacoil spring 21, one end of which is attached to a pin, or hook, 22, which may be an extension of the pivot pin 18, and the other end of this spring is attached to the bracket plate 16 carried on the rear wall or face '13 of the main section. The outer end of the extension bar 4 is preferably attached to the side section 3 by a pivot pin 24 mounted in a substantially horizontal flange 25 of an angular bracket 26. The vertical flange 27 of this angular bracket is attached to the innerface of the face plate 9, and the slot 8 referred to above is extended through this flange.

It will be evident that the spring 21 will normally hold the sections against each other, but if the body 1 is thrust forward into the toe of the shoe or slipper and the thrust bar 12 set in the manner indicated in Figure 3 the thrust which it exerts upon the extension bar 4 will force it outwardly so as to expand the body 1, and hold the body sections apart as indicated, thereby enabling the body 1 to exert expansive force on the interior of theshoe.

It is understood that the embodiment of the invention describedherein is only one of the many embodiments this invention may take, and we do not wish to be limited in the practice of the invention, nor in our claims,

to the particular embodiment set forth.

Vihat we claim is:

1. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally into two sections, a single extension bar, means for guiding the extension bar on one of said sections to extend the same transversely of the body, means for connecting the said bar with the other section, means for normally holding said bar in a retracted position to hold said sections substantially against each other, andmeans connected with said bar for extending the same.

2. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally into two sections, a single extension bar, means for guiding the extension bar on one of said sections to extend the same transversely of the body, means for connecting the said bar with the other section, resilient means for normally holding said bar in a retracted position to hold said sections substantially against each other, and means connected with said bar for extending the same.

3. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally into two sections, a single extension bar, a pin and curved slot connection be-v tween said extension bar and one of said sections, saidbar having a laterally projecting end extending across to the other section; means for pivotally connecting the said laterally projecting end to the other section, and means connected with said bar for extending the same and constructed to engage the counter at the heel of the shoe.

4. A shoe tree having a body consisting of sections, a single extension bar having its body carried inone of said sections, and having a laterallyextending end projecting toward the other section, a pin and slot connection between said extension bar and one of said sections, means for pivotally connecting the said laterally projecting end to the other section, and a thrust bar connected with said extension bar and having means for engaging the counter of the shoe at the heel, said thrust bar being capable of exerting a thrust on said extension bar to extend, the same to force the sections apart.

5. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally so as to form a body section and a side section, an extension bar having its body carried by said body section and having a cam formed thereon, said bar having a laterally extending end projecting toward the side section, means on the body section for guiding the extension bar and engaging the cam, means pivotally connecting the said laterally projecting end to the side section, and means connected with the extension bar adjacent the body section "for exerting a thrustforce to extend the extension bar from the body section and force the sections apart.

6. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally and consisting of a main section and aside section, an elongated extension bar having a curved slot therein, a pin on the main section engaging said slot, means for pivotally connecting one end of said extension bar with the side section, and means associated with the main section for exerting thrust on the said extension bar to project the bar longitudinally on its axis and outwardly from the main section to force the said sections apart.

7. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally and consisting of a main section and aside section, an extension bar having a curved slot therein, a pin on the main section engaging said slot, means connecting one end of said extension bar with the side section, and means associated with the main section for exerting thrust on the said exten sion bar to project the same outwardly from the main section and force the said sections apart, and a spring associated with the main section and the extension bar for normally holding the same in a retracted position to day of July, 1931.

hold the sections normally against each other. A

nected with the extension bar and associated with the main section, said thrustbar having means at its rear end for engaging the counter ofthe shoe to enable the same to exert a thrust force on the extension bar to force the extensions apart.

9. A shoe tree having a body divided longitudinally into a main section 'and a side section, an extension bar pivotally connected with the side section and extending into the main section, cam means associated with the extension bar and the main section for guiding the extension bar when the same is projected outwardly from the body section, and a resilient thrust bar connected with the extension bar and associated with the main section, said thrust bar having'a curved plate at its rear end capable of being used for a shoe horn and capable of engaging the counter of the shoe to cooperate with the sections of said body to exert a thrust force on the extension bar to force the extensions apart.

Signed at Los Angeles, California, this 3rd MEL VON ASTHOLZ. THOMAS CONGHA. 

